Charley McAtee, who had joined them earlier, said, “We all got a taste of what the Lord did east of here, didn’t we? That air force general can’t stop talking about it. I think you’re right, Carl. Something big is brewing in Jerusalem right now—just wait and see!”

As people went back to their regular duties, Manuel Quintana tried his best to pull down another satellite broadcast or to learn something more about the war in the Middle East. He was completely unsuccessful. Then, after several hours without any news, the residents of El Refugio heard a trumpet blast that seemed to reverberate through every fiber of their beings. They ran to the windows of their homes and to the doors of their tents to see what was happening. There was a tremendous shout that echoed from one end of the mountains to the other.

“Carl,” Lori whispered excitedly, as she and Carl stood looking out of the open french windows in John Edwards’s living room, “what was that word? Did you hear it? It sounded like ‘Now!’”

“Yes, it sounded like that to me, too, honey,” Carl whispered back.

“I think we’re in for something really big!”

As they thought about what they had heard, the television flashed back on, and the transmissions resumed again. Racing back to the giant television in the living room, Lori and Carl could see that the cameraman was trying to focus his lens on a bright object glowing like the sun above the Mount of Olives to the east of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Then, as if on cue, the sky above El Refugio began to glow with an intense light.

Carl looked at Lori. Something was happening to her before his eyes. Her hair was full and golden. Her face was the face of the beautiful girl he had fallen in love with years ago. Then she began to glow in a translucent radiance he had never seen before in his life.

She looked angelic.

“Lori,” Carl said, reaching out to her, “you are the most beautiful creature I have ever set eyes on!”

“Carl,” she said with a radiant smile, “you should see yourself!”

Without realizing what had happened, both of them had been transformed in the twinkling of an eye. Carl stood tall and handsome.

His body was lean and muscular. His hair was shimmering. He, too, had a translucent glow, and they were both clothed in pure white linen.

“Lori,” he said, “what the Bible promised is happening. I feel such incredible peace. I love you, Lori, and I know we’ll be together for all eternity.”

She took his hand. “For all eternity, Carl.”